1982

Born in the countryside of Paraíba State (NE), Jackson do Pandeiro, alias, Jackson the Tambourine player, first wanted to play the accordion. But as his parents could not afford one, Jackson was given a tambourine, instead. His mother was a coco singer and played percussion instruments like zabumba and ganzá. When he was 13, Jackson moved with his family to Campina Grande, in Paraíba, where he had the opportunity of watching coco singers and guitar players performing at local markets. That’s where his first artistic name, Jack, came up, influenced by American western films.

In the 40’s he moved to João Pessoa, performing in cabarets and on the radio. Later, he moved to Recife, in the State of Pernambuco (NE), where he adopted the name Jackson do Pandeiro.

In 1953, Jackson recorded his first hits: "Sebastiana" (Rosil Cavalcanti) and "Forró em Limoeiro" (Edgar Ferreira). Three years later, he married Almira, and the two started performing together. In the same year, they moved to Rio de Janeiro, where Jackson was hired by Rádio Nacional, and became an overnight sensation among the audience and the critics due to his unique way of singing popular Brazilian rhythms, such as baiões, cocos, rojões, sambas and marchinhas de carnaval.

Jackson’s music legacy can be found in new recordings of his work, such as "O Canto da Ema", recorded by Lenine, "Na Base da Chinela", recorded by Elba Ramalho, "Lágrima", recorded by Chico Buarque, or "Um a Um", recorded by the pop band Paralamas do Sucesso.

A great composer and talented musician, Jackson recorded Brazilian Northeastern classics which became great hits among the general public, such as "Chiclete com Banana" (Gordurinha/ Almira Castilho), "Xote de Copacabana" (José Gomes), "17 na Corrente" (Edgar Ferreira/ Manoel Firmino Alves), "Como Tem Zé na Paraíba" (Manezinho Araújo/ Catulo de Paula), "Cantiga do Sapo", "A Mulher do Aníbal", "Ele Disse" (Edgar Ferreira) and "Forró em Caruaru" (Zé Dantas).